


The Golden Age

by smaragdbird



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Banter, Bragging Rights, Bucky likes to annoy Sam, Cameos all around, Established Relationship, M/M, Sam worries too much, set in the golde age of Jaegers, tony and rhodey are drift compatible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 02:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11303955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: There were times Sam loved being a jaeger pilot. And there were times where Sam thought that the universe was having a laugh at his expense when it had decided to make him drift compatible with one James Buchanan Barnes.





	The Golden Age

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rivulet027](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/gifts).



There were times when Sam loved his job, especially when they managed to stop a Kaiju away from the coast with no casualties. There was nothing quite like it, the power coursing through his veins at commanding a Jaeger, the exhilaration of success, the joy, the giddiness, all of it doubled because of course his co-pilot felt the same.

And there were times, like right now, where Sam thought that the universe was having a laugh at his expense when it had decided to make him drift compatible with one James Buchanan Barnes. The very same James Buchanan Barnes who was sticking his ice cold metal hand onto the back of Sam’s neck right now.

Sam yelped, wide awake now and ignored Steve’s sleepy protests in favour of glaring up at Bucky who was grinning unrepentantly. “What the fuck, Barnes?”

“Get up Wilson, we have work to do.”

For a split second Sam thought he had actually somehow managed to sleep through a Kaiju alarm but no, the shatterdome was as quiet as it could be. He glanced at his alarm clock, which lay on the floor with the battery fallen out. He and Steve had to have knocked it over last night.

Sam rubbed a hand over his face. “What time is it?”

Bucky grinned. “6.15.”

Which meant they had only overslept for fifteen minutes. How the hell had Bucky even known that? When Sam voiced his question out loud Bucky’s grin widened.

“The walls aren’t that thick. So when I didn’t hear your alarm I knew my time had come. I let you off lightly, Wilson, remember that. I could’ve had payback for that time you chased the RABIT and I got a front-centre seat to your sex-life.”

“It’s been two years, Buck, let it go”, Steve mumbled from where he had tried to hide from the noise under the blanket.

“Never”, Bucky said with the same threatening cheerfulness that Natasha used when she had to deal with politicians. 

“Can you at least get out so we can get up?” Sam asked. Beneath the blanket he could feel Steve’s hand caressing the inside of his thigh. 

Bucky, being Steve’s former and Sam’s current co-pilot noticed of course. “I’m better not seeing any of this in the drift.”

“How did you make it through three years with him as your co-pilot?” Sam murmured while tilting his head so that Steve could press more kisses to his neck.

“I had you to come home to”, Steve replied, sliding his arm around Sam’s waist to pull him closer.

“At least wait with that mushy stuff until I’m gone!”

“Then go”, Sam replied just before his lips found Steve’s. He heard Bucky mutter something about how he should’ve left them for Fury to find but after that he did close the door from the outside.

/

Drift compatibility was not well understood. Most Jaeger pilots were related though of the five current US Jaegars that was only true for the Yancy brothers who had drawn the short straw this year and were spending the next 12 months at the Alaska shatterdome. It was theorised that close familiarity facilitated the drift that knowing each other inside out allowed you to become one. Romantic partners were rare and seen as real life equivalents of soulmates. 

Sam probably wouldn’t have thought too much about it if their newest Jaeger duo hadn’t been one. 

“Hey”, Steve bumped his shoulder as they were eating breakfast. “What are you thinking about? You looked lost there for a moment.”

Sam checked that Bucky was occupied by Tony’s new improvement plans for the Jaegers before he asked, “Do you ever mind that we’re not drift compatible?”

Steve looked surprised for a moment followed by a more thoughtful expression. Eventually he shook his head. “If we had been drift compatible instead of you and Bucky it would’ve been a waste of your talent. I’m glad at least one of us is still out there fighting Kaijus – plus I don’t think I could’ve convinced you to pilot with Scott.”

Steve grinned and Sam pretended to be revolted. Truth was he liked Scott just fine but a guy who had given his Jaeger a paintjob to make it look like a giant fire ant was not a guy he wanted to drift with. Especially not two years ago when he had lost Riley and had nearly left the PPDF altogether. Back then Steve had convinced him to stay, Steve who had accepted that the radiation poisoning would prevent him from ever piloting a Jaeger again and had retrained as a LOCCENT technician the moment he had been released from the hospital.

Back then it had been hard for Sam not to resent Steve’s ability just to roll with the changes when he had been reeling from Riley’s death.

“What brought this on?” Steve asked.

“I was thinking about Ana and Jarvis– “Sam started to explain but was drowned out by Bucky yelling, 

“Oh look the best team of this shatterdome finally descends to be among mere mortals.”

Sam groaned while Steve laughed under his breath. There had been a slight dispute who had actually killed the Cat. 3 that had attacked a week ago, Winter Falcon or Black Widow. In the end the kill had been awarded to Black Widow and Bucky hadn’t shut up about it since.

“If you want to kill a Cat 3 you need to aim better”, Clint shot back. He and Bucky were staring at each other as if they were the only people in the room. Meanwhile Natasha took a seat next to Steve and muttered something in Russian under her breath.

“I’ve still got more kills in total”, Bucky replied at which point Iron War’s two pilots broke out in suspiciously coordinated coughing until Bucky added, “than you.”

“But do you have a Cat 3?” Clint grinned, “That’s what I thought.”

“Pilots!” Nick Fury didn’t even need to raise his voice to get everyone’s attention. “The Breach just opened. We have a Category 4 Kaiju headed in our direction, Codename Thanos. Good hunting.”

And with that the alarm sounded. Clint and Bucky exchanged a look that clearly said, “You’re on.”

Sam took the moment to kiss Steve, knowing better than to take it for granted he’d come back.

“Go give them hell, baby”, Steve said with so much pride and warmth and affection that Sam just had to kiss him again.

“I really wish you would get a room”, Bucky muttered behind them.

“I really wish you and Barton would”, Sam shot back as he joined Bucky. “I don’t even care if you fuck or fight, just get it out of your system.”

“You want me to get it out of my system? Then let’s kill that Cat 4 before anyone else can and settle this for once and for all.”

Sam knew that it wouldn’t but he sighed and said, “The things I do for you, Barnes.”

“Well I’m letting you do my best friend so I guess we’re even.”

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the prompt for a pacific rim au and thought immediately, Hey what if Sam and Steve aren't drift compatible? 
> 
> And then Bucky turned up and everything became a lot less angsty than originally planned.


End file.
